Email this page
Print this Page
Having Fun with Your Horse in the Winter
If you thought a show horses’ life was all summer shows and then the winter off – then think again, as many show horses turn their hooves to other disciplines as top show rider and producer Lynn Russell explains:
Whilst some of the more experienced show horses have their shoes removed and spend winter relaxing after HOYS, some of the young horses are just starting their education under saddle, so the winter offers us the perfect opportunity to get them going well and showing them a bit of life, before the spring shows next year.
If you own a show horse, it’s important to give them plenty of variety and the winter offers a host of great activities that you and your horse can have fun and benefit your performance in the show ring next season.
Dressage is a great way to introduce your show horse to competing indoors and for polishing up on your horse’s flat work. Dressage makes you disciplined, which again is great for ensuring that your horse is trained to listen to your aids, as well as keeping him supple and flexible.
Whilst we do pole work and jumping at home with a lot of the horses – we will often take the show horses out to a local low key show-jumping event, for a bit of fun. This is a chance for the horses to have some fun and for the grooms to further the horse’s education in the ring – especially if the horse’s future lies in working cob classes.
I don’t hunt our horses, but many of my fellow competitors do and often find that if they have a stuffy horse, this tends to take the stuffiness out and adds some ‘va va vroom’ into their attitude. We find that a group hack is for good for the soul and does the trick when it comes to horses learning to behave in company.
Also, don’t forget that whilst your horse doesn’t have to be ‘show ring pristine’ to be successful in any of the above, its important that you take pride in your horses’ appearance and I feel respectful to the judges by presenting you and your horse in a clean tidy manner! When it comes to stable stains, make sure that you check out my stain removing range and keep on top of those stains, before they become too engrained to deal with next season and as for perfect plaits – my Quick Plait Spray will ensure that your plaits look professional each and every time!
Check out the Lynn Russell Grooming Collection in-store now….
Trotting poles help to keep horses interested in their work and help them develop the correct muscle tone.
For website enquiries and online orders phone 
